


He Is Her Shield

by Ann3onymous



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Meme Lord Shuri (Marvel), Memes, Open Secret, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Secret Marriage, Slice of Life, Star Wars References, Training, Wakanda (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 09:49:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20273965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ann3onymous/pseuds/Ann3onymous
Summary: Post-Civil War, slice of life whilst on the run. Shuri being awesome and schooling everyone.Lightsabers, of sorts.





	He Is Her Shield

**Author's Note:**

> First post on this site, so if it looks sparse, I'm just a noob.  
Thanks for your interest!  


"You're starting to favor your left," Steve warns moments before he launches a shield to her left.

It ricochets off the floor by her left foot, mere millimeters from her heel, and veers a degree to the right. It clips right onto her magnetic vambrace.

"Gee, I wonder why," she huffs. "I'm going to have to work out the right side of my body to even out."

He snorts, rather undignified, as she quirks a brow. All the while, Sam laughs, "like a fencer!"

"Good session." Natasha disengages the magnetic vambrace and hands the shield back to Steve. He unlocks and breaks apart her staff into batons, and she inspects them. "I feel like I can improve the batons. I'm inspired by Okoye's staff. Perhaps, adding sharpened vibranium tips."

"Or Shuri could change the capacitor," Sam interjects from the table where he is inspecting his gear. "Longer battery life, or higher electric output."

"Hmm, I agree. You can finally attenuate between stun or lightsaber." A lopsided smile graces Steve's lips.

"My, my. When did you watch Star Wars?"

"I didn't. Shuri sent me a meme."

Natasha smirks and plods toward the showers.

* * *

She knocks and enters his suite. He was halfway to the door, fresh from a shower with damp hair, clad only in sleeping pants. His beard was trimmed shorter than usual.

"Yeah, I know," he scratches at his chin. "Nisobawe gave me a new trimmer, and I didn't know how to adjust the --"

"Sure, blame it on the valet," she teases while reaching to scratch his jaw. She catches his eye, "it will grow out, of course."

They look at each other fondly, before he folds her into his side. Steve kisses the top of her head as they walk to bed. She settles in his lap, and he caresses her back, enjoying this moment of repose.

"While you were washing up, I got something from the media library," Natasha plucks a thumb drive from the band of her sleeping shorts and places it in his palm. "Star Wars."

"Just the one episode?"

"You think I'm a heathen? I've got all of 'em!" She scrambles off his lap and plugs the drive to a dock on the nightstand. The holograms flicker to life as she swipes her fingers through the selection.

"Of course you did."

"You're going to love Padme." She pokes at his chest as they settle in to watch.

* * *

The elevator doors open, and the floor is reverberating with the heavy bass of dance music. Natasha smiles as she knows Shuri is dancing in her lab. And sure enough, as she rounds the corner, the young genius is swaying her hips, stomping her feet, and twirling to the beat. In her left hand, she is holding a capacitor with tweezers, and in her right, a desoldering pump.

"Ah, Natasha! Come, come," gesturing emphatically. The music lowers to background noise. "Your upgrade--"

"How did you--?"

"Let's just say Steve wanted to do something nice. But seeing that you hate surprises, he just passed on the batons and told me to think like you. So! I've added vibranium at the ends -- a press of the button and turns the end into a blunt or sharp tip. Just like the Dora's staff.

I'm almost finished installing the capacitor. This Stark tech is a bit inefficient. It now charges kinetically, just like my brother's suit. Bang it together three times, and it's fully charged. I've gutted it enough -- 32 grams lighter, without, you know, compromising the balance and purpose of the weapon.

And yes-- yes, it can function almost like a lightsaber-- Darth Maul style. Only for 90 consecutive seconds before having to recharge. However, say the word and I can make you a lightsaber--of sorts."

She smiles at the generous woman before her, "of sorts. Thank you, but these will do."

"Anyway," Shuri begins blithely, as she sets the items at hand to the side, and installs new vibranium nanite capacitors in the batons. The automated micro-welding lasers power up, as the holographic interface initialized. "It was nice that Steve made his feelings known."

"Oh no, not you too."

Shuri shrugs, as she casts her eyes sideways. "Listen, he ate a Kola nut from your basket--" she pokes at Natasha's arm, "right after Nakia's blessing. He basically pronounced you as his wife in front of everybody."

"He didn't know, Shuri. It was Bucky who goaded him on. I am not engaged to Steve. No matter how much you ship us."

The younger woman waved her hands dismissively before her deft fingers begin to twist, activating the lasers to burnish the new parts to her batons.

* * *

"I give my blessing."

"I wasn't asking for it." Natasha half turns her body to Bucky, as she reloads another clip in her gun. She presses a button and fixes her target farther.

"Doesn't matter, he ate the Kola nut. You're basically married now," he chuckles.

Natasha empties the clip before switching on the safety and setting the weapon down. "Not that it matters, dad, but he and I have talked about it already. We have what we have when we have it. It's our parameters, and no one else gets to tell us what to call it."

"You're still worried because he carries his compass with Peggy's picture."

She is silent a moment, before she shrugs, "perhaps."

"You have what you have when you have it, indeed," Bucky grimaces as he scratches the back of his neck. "All I know is that he reached into the damned basket even after I told him the symbolism--"

"James," she grace's him with a genuine smile as she nears. She rights the scarf covering his left side, smoothing the fabric around his clavicle. "It's really alright. We orphans have formed a home with each other."

Natasha tiptoes and places a gentle kiss on his cheek. They lock eyes for a moment. Bucky notes that her eyes are bright as she makes her exit.

* * *

"Ms. Romanoff, a pleasure seeing you here."

She tucks in a bookmark, as she stands to greet her host, "Your Highness, a surprise seeing you today."

T'Challa gestures at the book in her hand, "that was written by my great-aunt."

"It's lovely poetry. My favorite so far is the one titled Khusela."

T'Challa nods, as he nears and sits across her. "That it is, and that particular poem was written about her lover - a prince from Lesotho. Unfortunately, he had perished on a diplomatic mission. Anyway, please, sit. I heard from Okoye that you are spending time in the healing waters in the cave of the heart-shaped herb."

She teases, "are you prodding, Your Highness?" He does not answer, but a slight quirk along his jaw betrays him. She chuckles. "I came across an old article. It stated that waters within the cave had regenerative properties. I wanted to test something out."

"If you were injured there are more efficient--"

"No," she interjects with a placating grin. "I was just hoping it would ease some discomfort I've been having since receiving body augmentation -- courtesy of Dr. Helen Cho. Life on the run makes it difficult to maintain specific medication."

"Understood," T'Challa took the cue for what it was and let her be. He knew it was not prudent to push her further, especially in these delicate matters. "Well, I am hopeful the therapy proves helpful. Please, don't let me disturb you further."

"Your Highness."

"Yes?"

"You're just dying to get a confirmation, right?"

Again, he makes a face, and she could not suppress a hearty laugh as he briskly walks out of the library.

* * *

Natasha laughs deeply, and Steve cannot help but join her. His fingers massage her calf as she tries to focus on the book at hand. They lay haphazard in the couch of her suite.

"I mean--" she continues, making a face, "his face. I had never seen someone backpedal so fast before. I receive a note from Jaana not fifteen minutes later recommending specialists."

"Maybe he consulted Nakia or the Dowager Queen."

"Yeah, totally," she beamed at him, and with a pleased sigh, she twined her fingers with his. "Maybe we should just confirm we really did get married. Several times. It would amuse Fury to no end that our first was a desert Bedouin ceremony."

"But what's the fun in that?" It was his turn to chuckle. "I like keeping this secret--what we have, as we have it."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted some levity.
> 
> There are Easter Eggs to two other movies, aside from the gratuitous Star Wars mentions! Let me know if you find it!
> 
> What body modifications does Natasha speak of? ;)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!  
I thank my peeps who have been instrumental in me writing fics again.  
You know who you are!


End file.
